I welcome this comic, especially written by screenwriter. The artwork is interesting, if not accurate. I'm sure there are a slew of intellectual property questions, but I hope we get to read the whole thing!

The artwork is pretty alternative, not very mainstream, which to me kind of reflects the fact that the Inner Light isn't your typical Trek fare. Additionally, the broad strokes and heavy paints look fairly tribal and historical, as if you'd find similar work in the art of a cultural museum, which I think is pretty fitting considering the archival nature of the probe.

Yeah, I may be gasping at straws, but that's what I think. I'd like to give this comic a shot.

With enough differences, they can claim it's NOT Star Trek, and therefore not get into trouble with copyright laws and such.

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Uhh, no, because the text explicitly references "Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise." And despite variations of artistic style, there's no question that the images are meant to represent the characters and sets from ST:TNG. It's just an impressionistic way of rendering them, as we've seen in other Trek comics in the past, like that official movie-prequel mini-comic from Wired magazine a few years ago.

As long as the comic is being published for free, without any attempt to profit, it's the sort of thing that Paramount/CBS generally allows to exist, like Phase II and other fan films.

I forgot to add, this might be creative licence on the artist's part, but I like how Riker's top seems to be a light jacket of sorts with an undershirt in the first panel. I've lamented about the TNG uniforms looking a bit dated because of its colors, but having it be a bit more laid back, with a somewhat loose but standing collar and a relaxed but still fitted cut (definitely less formal and thinner than Picard's jacket) would help balance out the color, I think. Relaxed, but still within regulation. If not that, it would be good for away missions as a field jacket. To compare, Geordi's uniform is much closer to the actual uniform in the same panel.

Thanks for the heads up, 22 Stars. I had missed this one on TrekMovie.com.

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My pleasure, glad to help.

I agree about the Enterprise on the cover, to be honest when i saw it at first glance, it looked more like the underside of the Starbase in ST III.

When I read stories like this, if I don't particularly care for the visual style they are told in, I just picture it as an episode, lord knows we have seen enough TNG to just 'see' it as if they shot it.

That being said, i applaud the artistic efforts and this effort in general.

^ Geordi's top too, to a lesser extent. Could be the same uniforms, just opened a bit at the top.

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Yeah, most likely. Riker's opened collar made me imagine perhaps having a zipper in the front for that looser look. But I like that Riker's open collar goes below the clavicle without evoking a cheesy 70s look.

The art in it looks pretty horrible, though. In the first four pages linked in the OP the final panel with Riker looking "surprised" at the vessel on the viewscreen looks less "surprised" and more like "just saw Michael Moore naked riding a unicycle."

The art in it looks pretty horrible, though. In the first four pages linked in the OP the final panel with Riker looking "surprised" at the vessel on the viewscreen looks less "surprised" and more like "just saw Michael Moore naked riding a unicycle."

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Oh great.

Anyone got a few extra gallons of brain bleach, so I can wash that image out of my mind